Kit assemblage structure and method for obtaining same



June 4, 1963 N. ALLOGGIO 3,092,217

KIT ASSEMBLAGE STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING SAME Filed June 15,1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 4, 1963 N. ALLOGGIO 3,092,217

KIT ASSEMBLAGE STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING SAME Filed June 15,1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. #45014 ,azasa/a Patented June 4, 19533,092,217 KIT ASSEMBLAGE STRUCTURE AND METHOD FDR GBTAINENG SAME NicolaAlloggio, 10 Piazza Duca dAosta, Milan, Italy Filed June 15, 196i), Ser.No. 36,291 Claims priority, application Italy June 16, 1959 5 i'liairns.(8i. 139-15.5)

This invention relates to structures which may be produced by assemblinga plurality of pro-formed components included in a kit, i.e., in a setof suitably manufactured parts and, particularly, to such structures ofthe type designed to form the framing of shelvings, scaifol ings and thelike.

It has become common practice to build up the framing of a scafiolds, aswell as shelves and other pieces of furniture, by assembling a number ofpreviously manufactured and finished parts and members. In particular,it is common practice to use standard components adapted to form aframework, including metal parts such as vertical post members andhorizontal cross-bars or rail members, and joint means adapted toconnect said members at the crossing or junction thereof. In generalsuch assembled frameworks include lengths of members provided with aplurality of evenly spaced holes adapted for engagement with hookingmeans to form the joints therebetween.

Most of the structures heretofore proposed are of rugged and somewhatunattractive appearance, and therefore the structures are not suitablefor fine furniture and appliances as used in halls, waiting rooms,saloons, representatives or executives offices, homes and the like.

A further common objection to which heretofore proposed assembledframeworks are subject consists of a somewhat poor connection of theseveral components, particularly in respect of resistance to sidewisetilting, because the comrnonly constructed joint means thereof are notproperly designed for resistance to torque.

Another problem that sometimes occurs, is that by using previously fullymanufactured and finished components a framework having the very desireddimensions and properties to meet the most diversified requirementscannot be assembled. In particular, it is frequently desirable to form aframework, the dimensions of which do not exactly agree with any of thepossible dimensions defined by the spaced holes or other fixedly locatedjoint means included in the standard members.

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a new andimproved kit for assembling a structure of the foregoing type, which isnot subject to the above and other objections.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improvedframework which may be formed by readily combining and assembling aplurality of standard components including straight members, which serveas posts and rails, and joint means adapted to be combined in aframework of neat and pleasing appearance, and representing smooth andsubstantially uninterrupted outer surfaces.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and usefulstructure including joint means adapted to rigidly connect the variousadjacent post and rail forming components at a given angle, inparticular at right angles and/ or in aligned relationship.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a new and improvedframework including junction devices which may be readily assembled andmade fast by making use of the most simple tooling, in particular of ascrewdriver only.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a new andadvantageous method for manufacturing and preparing kits for assemblinga framework of any desired dimension to meet the special requirements ofany particular case.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in theprovision of a framework structure comprising, in combination, aplurality of elongated hollow frame members having each in the interiorthereof 0pposite surface portions each defined by a pair of abuttingfaces converging toward each other at a given angle in a directiontransverse to the elongation of the respective member; connecting meansfor connecting adjacent ends of the elongated frame members to eachother and each comprising a central portion and at least two pairs ofbracing members projecting from said central portion respectively intothe interior of adjacent ends of tie elongated frame members, thebracing members in each pair extending substantially parallel andslightly spaced from each other and each having a wedge-shapedcrosssection defined by a pair of wedge faces inclined toward each otherat an angle substantially equal to the aforesaid given angle; and meansoperatively connected to each pair of bracing members for pressing thewedge faces thereof in tight engagement with the abutting faces of theframe members so as to connect the frame members to each other againstseparation in longitudinal direction and against twisting movement withrespect to each other.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, illustrating a part of atypical framework constructed in accordance with the invention, andincluding four co-planar straight components connected by joint means;

FlGURE 2 is a similar fragmentary perspective vie-w illustrating furtherparts of the structure, including junctions and a post foot;

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate details of the joint means included in theparts shown in F168. 1 and 2, respectively, in the same position andorientation;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view of the junctionshown in FIG. 1 taken along the section line 5-5 thereof;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional showing of a straight member ofthe structure, taken in a plane corresponding to the location of braceexpanding means to be applied to the joint means to be connectedthereto;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded partly sectional View of a junction, taken alongline 7-7 of FIG. 3 and including an end portion of a straight membershown in phantom and brace expanding means to be connected thereto;

FIGURES 8 and 9 are front and side views, respectively of a component ofsuch brace expanding means;

FIGURE 10 illustrates another detail of the framework, in a sectionalview taken along the section line 10-10 of FIG. 2; and

FIGURE 11 is a perspective fragmentary, diagrammatic view drawn on areduced scale and showing an example of a simple framework which may beproduced according to the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the simple framework shown in FIG. 11will be best suitable to explain the principles and general character ofthe invention. Such framework includes elongated hollow-frame members orstraight components, generally indicated at 20, partly forming thevertical posts of the structure and partly forming horizontal railmembers thereof. These rail members are located so as to support shelvesor scaffold flooring 37, say of Wood, metal, plywood, plastics,glasssheet and so on. Bottom members or feet 25 are provided to supportthe structure on the floor and side wall forming members 35 may bearranged for better accommodation of goods, articles, books, papers andthe like on the said shelves.

Obviously the structure shown in FIG. 11 is purely representative anddifferently formed compound structures may be easily devised, includinga different number and/ or location of superimposed, shelve forminglayers, and further including a different number and/ or location ofposts, according to the desired height, width and load ability to beobtained.

The said straight members shown at 20, are each produced by cutting intodesired lengths, an aluminium or aluminium alloy extruded material ofuniform crosssectional shape, preferably of the shape shown in FIGS. 1,2, and and, in greater detail, in FIG. 6. Such cross-sectional shape issomewhat elongated and includes internally and externally tapered sideportions. The outer faces of said portions are preferably grooved, asshown at 21 (FIGS. 1 and 6) and the minor side faces are provided withlongitudinal grooves 22. The inner outline of said cross-sectional shapeincludes abutting faces 23 converging toward each other at a given angleand forming a taper therebetween.

The connections between the various adjacent straight members areprovided by connecting means or .joint means of difiering shape, inaccordance with the number and relative location of the two or morestraight members adjacent thereto. In FIGS. 3 and 4 two exemplificativeembodiments of said joint means are shown, designed to connect fourco-planar straight members at right angles therebetween and respectivelyto connect two co-planar and' aligned members, a third member coplanarand at right angles to said two members and a fourth member at rightangles to all three members.

Any joint means included in a framework produced according to theinvention consists of a metallic, pressure die cast component includinga center portion 24 of substantially flat and diamond-like shape and aplurality of brace forming extensions, said extensions being locatedaccording to the locations of the various straight members which aresupposed to be joined in the respective V junction of the framework;Each brace forming extension of any joint means of the invention is madeintegral with the respective block portion 24 and is made expansible bythe provision of a longitudinal slot or cut 27 dividing such extensioninto two parallel symmetrical portions 26. Any such expansible braceforming extension is further cross-sectionally shaped and dimensionedfor slidably entering the hollow of any end portion of any straightmember 20, the rigid connection of any joint means with any adjacentstraight member being obtained by forcedly expanding the said portions26 inside said fact that such parts act as being wedgedly engaged. Thekit'of components provided for obtaining the desired structure mayadvantageously include ancillary post foot forming components. Suchcomponents may include each a shaped portion as indicated at25 in FIG. 2and one brace forming extension corresponding to any brace extension ofany of the various joint means, as'

oppositely located wing portions 39 adapted to slidably f abovedescribed, and therefore a further detailed de- 'scription and showingof such ancillary component will be omitted. 7

According to the invention, brace expandingmeans are provided forforcing the said portions 26 of any brace extension of any'joint meansor of other ancillary components slightly apart, said expanding meansincluding screw driven wedge means designed to be wedgedly 7 27, nearto'the free end thereof, a frusto-conical hollow 28 is provided to forma seat for a correspondingly shaped member or nut 29 (FIGS. 5 and 7-9.)having fit in the adjacent portions of the respective cut 27 to preventrotation of the member 29. The latter has a screw-threaded bore 31 (HG.8) designed to engage with a screw 32 (FIG. 7) inserted into said member29 through a hole 34 (FIG. 6) in one wall of the straight member 24) tobe connected. Preferably said screw 32 is provided with a conical head33 shaped to fit inside the respective hole 34 so as to be flush withthe outer surface of the corresponding straight member. Such conicalmembers 29 may, however, be replaced by differently shaped wedge formingmeans or directly by conical screw means adapted to engage acorrespondingly conical thread provided in the faces of said hollow 28,if desired.

As shown in the right-hand portion of FIG. 7, the said hole 34 is'preferably drilled so as to be initially slightly offset with respect tothe axis of said conical hollow 28, so that by driving a screw 32 intosaid hole a side thrust in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 7

may be imparted to the straight member 20 for longitudinally forcing thesame towards the block portion 24 of the adjacent and mating jointmeans.

As it will be readily understood from a consideration of the foregoingdescription and of the accompanying drawings, any connection between onestraight'member 2 0 and one joint means, according to the invention,includes one hole 34 drilled in the wall of the member 20, and onescrew. Such hole 34 may obviously be drilled in that wall of thestraight member which, upon assembling of the framework, will face theinterior of the work, whereby the appearance of the structure will notbe prejudiced by any screw head or other feature which might alter thesmooth and pleasing external surface thereof.

According to the invention, the materials to be manufactored for aproper disposal of components of any structure to be formed includes astock of extruded or die drawn straight material of the above discusseduniform cross-sectional shape and a plurality of suit-ably stocked jointmeans sorted for the various junctions to be provided in assembling theframework. In accordance with the'required dimensions and pattern of theframe work to be produced, the said straight material will be factorycut into the required lengths and then provided with said holes 34 atthe required uniform spacing from the ends thereof. It is thereforebelieved to be readily apparent that the invention provides a new andadvantageous method for forming frameworks from custom prepared kits,and that such custom kits may be very readily and cheaply provided tomeet the most diversified requirements simply by suitably sorting aproper number of joint means and by squarely sawing and drilling thestraight materials in the required lengths, ready for as semblage andconnection with the various joint and/or ancillary means and members.

In FIGS. 2, 10 and 11, further ancillary means provided by the inventionfor supporting the shelf forming layers a at an upper level andoppositely with respect to said botillustrations of the accompanyingdrawings, the said horizontally arranged straight members are set tohave their major axis of the cross-sectional shape thereof in a verticalplane, for the above described arrangement of parts and for betterload-carrying ability.

Upon positioning of the various components, as shown in FIG. 10, theload of the layer 37 and of the goods carried thereby, applied on saidstepped bottom portions 36 in the direction indicated at 41, causes, thesaid ancillary member 35 to remain in upright position and to laterallyabut the flank 40 of the adjacent straight memoer 20, as shown.

While the invention has been described and shown but in one preferredform of embodiment thereof, it is intended that the invention should notbe limited to the very details shown, and that such details should notbe taken as restrictive of the invention, as it is obvious that variousmodifications in design may be resorted to by those skilled in the artto which this invention appertains, according to the variousrequirements of actual service of the framework and/or in accordancewith the size, material and character of the stocked standard materials,without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, asdefined in and by the appended claims.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthis invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readilyadapt it for various applications in structure forming methods and meansconsidered, without omitting features that, from the standpoint of priorart, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the invention and,therefore, such adapations should and are intended to be comprehendedwithin the range of equivalents of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be protected by Letters Patent is:

l. A framework structure comprising, in combination, a plurality ofelongated hollow frame members having each in the interior thereofopposite surface portions each defined by a pair of abutting facesconverging toward each other at a given angle in a direction transverseto the elongation of said member, connecting means for connectingadjacent ends of said elongated frame members to each other and eachcomprising a central portion and at least two pairs of bracing membersprojecting from said central portion respectively into the interior ofadjacent ends of said elongated frame members, the bracing members ineach pair extending substantially parallel and slightly spaced from eachother and each having a wedge-shaped cross section defined by a pair ofwedge faces inclined toward each other at an angle substantially equalto said given angle; and means operatively connected to each of saidpair of bracing members for pressing said wedge faces thereof in tightengagement with said abutting faces of said frame members so as toconnect said frame members to each other against separation inlongitudinal direction and against twisting movement with respect toeach other.

2. A framework structure comprising, in combination, a plurality ofelongated hollow frame members having each in the interior thereofopposite surface portions each defined by a pair of abutting facesconverging toward each other at a given angle in outward direction andtransverse to the elongation of said member; connecting means forconnecting adjacent ends of said elongated frame members to each otherand each comprising a central portion and at least two pairs of bracingmembers projecting from said central portion respectively into theinterior of adjacent ends of said elongated frame members, the bracingmembers in each pair extending substantially parallel and slightlyspaced from each other and each having a wedge-shaped cross sectiondefined by a pair of wedge faces inclined toward each other at an anglesubstantially equal to said given angle; and wedge means located in thespace between each pair of bracing bracing members and operativelyengaging the latter for spreading the same in outward direction forpressing said wedge faces thereof in tight engagement with said abuttingfaces of said frame members so as to connect said frame members to eachother against separation in longirudinal direction and against twistingmovement with respect to each other.

3. A framework structure comprising, in combination, a plurality ofelongated hollow frame members having each in the interior thereofopposite surface portions each defined by a pair of abutting facesconverging toward each other at a given angle in outward direction andtransverse to the elongation of said member; connecting means forconnecting adjacent ends of said elongated frame members to each otherand each comprising a central portion and at least two pairs of bracingmembers projecting from said central portion respectively into theinterior of adjacent ends of said elongated frame members, the bracingmembers in each pair extending substantially parallel and slightlyspaced from each other and each having a wedge-shaped cross sectiondefined by a pair of wedge faces inclined toward each other at an anglesubstantially equal to said given angle, each of said bracing members ineach pair of said bracing members being formed adjacent the free endthereof and in the surface directed toward the other bracing member insaid pair of bracing members with a frusto-conical surface portionforming with the corresponding frustoconical portion in the otherbracing member of said pair of bracing members part of one cone frustum;and Wedge means for each pair of bracing members and each comprising afrusto-conical member engaging said frustoconical surface portions andscrew means passing through the corresponding frame member into saidfrusto-conical member for moving the latter in longitudinal directionalong said frusto-conical surface portions for pressing said Wedge facesthereof in tight engagement with said abutting faces of said framemembers so as to connect said frame members to each other againstseparation in longitudinal direction and against twisting movement withrespect to each other.

-4. A framework structure comprising, in combination, a plurality ofelongated hollow frame members having each in the interior thereofopposite surface portions each defined by a pair of abutting facesconverging toward each other at a given angle in a direction transverseto the elongation of said member; connecting means for connectingadjacent ends of said elongated frame members to each other and eachcomprising a central portion and at least four pairs of bracing membersprojecting from said central portion respectively into the interior ofadjacent ends of said elongated frame members, said four pairs ofbracing members being located substantially in one plane and formingtogether a cross-like configuration, the bracing members in each pairextending substantially parallel and slightly spaced from each other andeach having a Wedge-shaped cross section defined by a pair of wedgefaces inclined toward each other at an angle substantially equal to saidgiven angle; and means operatively connected to each of said pair ofbracing members for pressing said wedge faces thereof in tightengagement with said abutting faces of said frame members so as toconnect said frame members to each other against separation inlongitudinal direction and against twisting movement with respect toeach other.

5. A framework structure comprising, in combination, a plurality ofelongated hollow frame members having each in the interior thereofopposite surface portions each defined by a pair of abutting facesconverging toward each other at a given angle in a direction transverseto the elongation of said member; connecting means for connectingadjacent ends of said elongated frame members to each other and eachcomprising a central portion and at least four pairs of bracing membersprojecting from said central portion respectively into the interior ofadjacent ends of said elongated frame members, three of 17 said "fourpairs'of bracing membersibeing located sub stantially in one'planeWith'two of said pairs extending in opposite direction and the thirdextending substantially normal to said two pairs of bracing memberswhile the fourth of' said pairs of bracing members extends in a planesubstantially normal to said one'plane, the bracing members in each pairextending substantially parallel and slightly spaced from each other andeachrhaving a wedgeshaped cross section defined by a pair of Wedge facesinclined toward each other at an angle substantially equal to said givenangle; and means operatively connected to each o'f said pair'of'brac'ingmembersifor pressing said Wedge faces thereof in tightengagement with said abut ting faces of said frame -members so as toconnect said frame members to each other against separation inlongitudinal direction and against twisting movement with respect toeach other. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A FRAMEWORK STRUCTURE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PLURALITY OFELONGATED HOLLOW FRAME MEMBERS HAVING EACH IN THE INTERIOR THEREOFOPPOSITE SURFACE PORTIONS EACH DEFINED BY A PAIR OF ABUTTING FACESCONVERGING TOWARD EACH OTHER AT A GIVEN ANGLE IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSETO THE ELONGATION OF SAID MEMBER, CONNECTING MEANS FOR CONNECTINGADJACENT ENDS OF SAID ELONGATED FRAME MEMBERS TO EACH OTHER AND EACHCOMPRISING A CENTRAL PORTION AND AT LEAST TWO PAIRS OF BRACING MEMBERSPROJECTING FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTION RESPECTIVELY INTO THE INTERIOR OFADJACENT ENDS OF SAID ELONGATED FRAME MEMBERS, THE BRACING MEMBERS INEACH PAIR EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND SLIGHTLY SPACED FROM EACHOTHER AND EACH HAVING A WEDGE-SHAPED CROSS SECTION DEFINED BY A PAIR OFWEDGE FACES INCLINED TOWARD EACH OTHER AT AN ANGLE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALTO SAID GIVEN ANGLE; AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAIDPAIR OF BRACING MEMBERS FOR PRESSING SAID WEDGE FACES THEREOF IN TIGHTENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ABUTING FACES OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS SO AS TOCONNECT SAID FRAME MEMBERS TO EACH OTHER AGAINST SEPARATION INLONGITUDINAL DIRECTION AND AGAINST TWISTING MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TOEACH OTHER.